Higher Ground Creative

DARK ADVERTISING

2011-05-20T08:58:00.000+01:00

For this week’s blog we thought we’d look in to the wonderful world of advertising, with a slight twist!

This time we delve deeper in to the darker side of advertising. By ‘dark’, we mean the clever use of shadows & shading of course.

Something so simple can create such impactful results, so much so that many brands have taken this clever usage of negative space within design to another level, helping create ever-lasting and rememberable advertisements.

Below are a just a few examples of how this is achieved, from printed campaigns through to the more adventurous.

[Left] – Lego advert
It’s all in the imagination. A simple idea, but yet so simple at getting across the core values of ‘Lego’.

[Right] – Ariel
Saatchi & Saatchi (Paris) produced this print advert to show off ‘Ariel’s – brightest whites’.

Here are two great examples, of how using the suns light to good effect within real life surroundings can help highlight campaign messaging.

Carefully placed within a German city street, ‘VW’ projected its message of encouragement for passes by below to read and admire. Not only a great idea, but it will only work on days when it really is perfect for a test drive…

The second example, shows a billboard advert with a difference.

Produced for the brand ‘WWF’ as part of a campaign, this ad touches on a more poignant message of rising ocean levels across the globe.

As the sun rises, so does the shadow cast, a captivating way of hammering home the brands message to the viewing public.

And if that wasn’t enough!

If you wish you view more creative ad’s online, we can highly recommend paying a visit to Ads of the world website http://adsoftheworld.com/

And to see how we at Higher Ground Creative can help out with your advertising needs, please get in touch via our website

http://www.highergroundcreative.co.uk/ or check out our creative work directly by visiting our portfolio section http://www.highergroundcreative.co.uk/our-work/

Until next time!

HGC.

Flickr Highlights

2011-04-21T08:51:00.002+01:00

Here at Higher Ground Creative, we've recently been updating our very own Flickr account with some new photographic additions.

We all enjoy travelling and capturing that moment, or point in time, via our very Nikon D60 at any given moment. Whether it's closer to home or deep in the southern hemisphere, here we've highlighted just a few examples of our creative imagery taken over the past year.

Seattle, Washington, USA.

Taken from the Space Needle, a black & white photo depicting Seattle's downtown area.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/highergroundcreative/4007935821/in/photostream/lightbox/

Damüls, Austria.

More recently, this photography was taken by Jay approximately 2,000m up, in the Austrian Alps.

This has been achieved by stitching together 5 photos, then merging via Photoshop to create a wide angle panoramic. This was taken using the studios Nikon (Digital SLR)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/highergroundcreative/5536601977/in/photostream/lightbox/

Frinton-on-sea, UK.

Taken by Greg, using his iPhone 4 (who needs a 'proper' camera eh!?)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/highergroundcreative/5553065082/in/photostream/lightbox/

Victoria Embankment, London, UK.

A long exposure taken on Waterloo Bridge, looking east on London's Victoria embankment.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/highergroundcreative/4033944355/in/photostream/lightbox/

And why not check out the best of the rest here…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/highergroundcreative/

As if that wasn't enough, you can visit our site http://www.highergroundcreative.co.uk/

to see how we can help you with any consultancy, branding, digital or print.

Until next time followers, ciao for now!

HGC.

LIVE & DIRECT!

2011-03-18T09:21:00.003Z

Here at Higher Ground Creative, you may have noticed over the last few weeks a slight overhaul as part of our website updates. Of particular notice, is the new 'HGC TV' promotional box sitting rather comfortably on right hand side of our home page.

Housed within this, you'll find a few examples of digital animations, either produced or video edited by us over the last year or two. So what are you waiting for?

Check it out…

http://www.highergroundcreative.co.uk/hgc-tv/

Recommended highlights:

A short animation produced for our friends at 'Rough Guides'.

Rough Guide to Hitch Hikers from Higher Ground Creative on Vimeo.

For the blue chips! A flash produced animation for our client 'Deutsche Bank'.

Concepted, storyboarded & designed by HGC.

Deutsche Bank Forum Magazine from Higher Ground Creative on Vimeo.

Something colourful, illustrative & quirky produced for image stock specialists 'moodboard'.

moodboard animation showreel from Higher Ground Creative on Vimeo.

If you like what you see...

Why not leave a comment, hit the 'like' button : ) OR drop in to our studio here at London Bridge.

http://www.highergroundcreative.co.uk/

ALL IN THE MIX…

2011-03-04T09:10:00.010Z

For this weeks blog post we're digging deep in to the archives… dusting off the 45s...
...and looking in to the close collaboration between good design and good (or sometimes bad) music.

Left: Kraftwerk 'Autobahn LP' [1974]
Right: Kraftwerk 'Tour de France LP' [1983]

Many of us at Higher Ground Creative have a passion for all things music & design related, and so often we find that the two go hand in hand. Whether you're keeping it real and hitting the record shops of Soho, or simply downloading it straight from iTunes (*cough cough* Pirate Bay!), record covers and artwork design is very much apart of the music itself, and in some cases has had a longer lasting presence than the music itself.

Left: The Shahib Shihab Quintet 'Seeds LP' [1968]
Right: Miles David 'Bitches Brew LP' [1969]

Some of the most iconic covers produced over years have been so simplistic in terms of concept or execution, yet have created that ever lasting longevity that can inspire a life time of people. Such portrait photography as seen on jazz classics released back in the early 50s/60s, to the slightly edgier Germanic movement of Kraftwerk, to the more recent complex illustrations produced by Erosie http://www.erosie.net for the ever prolific Dutch producer, Martyn.

From left to right: Martyn 'Natural Selection 12" (3024 Records)' [2009];
Addison Groove 'Footcrab 12" (3024 Records)' [2010];
Martyn 'Great Lengths LP" (3024 Records)' [2009]

Left: Pink Floyd 'The Dark Side of the Moon LP' [1973]
Right: Rolling Stones 'Let It Bleed LP (Japanese Release)' [1969]

From folk rock to jazz, latin samba to dustup… our iPod dock is eclectic as ever at HGC, so here's just a taster of some releases that have inspired us over the years, either musically, or graphically.

And on that note, we're all off to Urban Outfitters to buy some record cover frames and stick some of these gems up on our wall…

Left: Bobbi Humphrey 'Black & Blues LP (Blue Note Records)' [1973]
Right: Gil Scott-Heron 'The Revolution LP' [1974]

Left: Marvin Gaye 'Trouble Man LP' [1972]
Right: Herbie Hancock 'Headhunters LP' [1973]

Left: Average White Band 'AWB LP' [1974]
Right: Aphex Twin 'Window Licker LP' (Warp Records) [1999]

Wills and Kate’s wedding essential accessory, Throne up!

2011-02-22T17:22:00.003Z

Wills and Kate’s wedding essential accessory, Throne up!

As we all know, and if you don’t where have you been this last year, April 29th, is the date most of you have probably booked off work, is the royal wedding of Wills and Kate! We are of course happy to see them both so very loved up but there comes a point where it is too much!

This is the impression I get from Lydia Leith, she has screen printed, very beautifully I may add some essentials for all you who are non royal followers. The official ‘Throne up, Royal Wedding, sick bag!’ They are available now from her site for a very reasonable £3!

Enjoy!

Until next time followers

HGC XX

Brit Insurance Design awards 2011

2011-02-16T12:54:00.001Z

The Brit Insurance Design Awards is the Design Museums annual exploration of the most innovative and interesting design work across all fields of the art world including architecture, fashion, furniture, graphics, interactive, product and transport. It is a chance for new designers to shine and boast some of their most exhilarating and exciting work.

It has been going for a relatively short time but has gained prestigious attention; some say it is the ‘Oscars’ of the design world even! And seeing as it opens today, we at HGC are pretty excited to get down there and check out the talent.

Last year’s winner, Designer Min-Kyu Choi with his Folding plug was an ‘elegant reinterpretation of the humble plug’.

Take a look at some of this year’s contenders; competition is of a high standard as always, but some are standing out already, there is plenty of time to check it out as it is exhibiting until August this year.

Until next time followers

HGC
XXX

P.S check out our newly updated website with new exciting work! http://www.highergroundcreative.co.uk/our-work/

The Ever Colourful Keith Haring

2011-02-15T11:53:00.012Z

Despite what you’ve seen on Style Wars or Wildstyle, not all early graffiti came out of a spray can. In the early 80’s Keith Haring was utilising a white piece of chalk and the New York street as his canvas. As his works could simply be wiped off, he was debatably the first legal graffiti artist.

He quickly moved onto murals using paint, and his style adapted accordingly. Harnessing vivid bright colours, Haring’s simple characters began to take on a life of their own, moulding around each other with dynamic movement. His murals began to appear bigger and brighter than ever. Invited to paint all over the World, Haring became an internationally renowned artist with high critical acclaim. However, this did not suppress his love for street art where he continued to paint socially aware pieces such as the infamous ‘crack is wack’ mural in New York 1986, painted in response to the crack cocaine epidemic sweeping the streets.

Haring could debatably be seen as the first commercially successful street artist, paving the way for many others to follow. He was employed to create adverts for both Absolut Vodka and Swatch watches. He also opened the infamous ‘Pop `Shop’ in Soho selling merchandise bearing his iconic images including t-shirts, toys, posters and other objects with reproductions of his art.

Sadly, Haring died in 1990 at the age of just 31. Its amazing to think what he could have achieved had he lived longer.

His influence on modern day artists, designers and advertising is still felt today.
The governments recent exercise campaign ‘Change4Life’, aimed at children is directly lifted from Haring’s characters seen below. Recently Banksy employed Haring’s dog DJ character for one of his street pieces.

We’ve included some of our favourite works below to show the breadth and depth of Haring’s images. So the next time you see a bubbly, flexing 2D character, you’ll know Haring influenced it!

Our Favourite Galleries

2011-02-02T10:53:00.001Z

Now let me start this off by saying this is a contemptuous piece… there were a few disagreements in the studio regarding this subject so the following compiles most of our favourites’ as there are probably too many to mention!

Firstly, everyone was in agreement when the Tate Modern was mentioned. Tate Modern remains the best place to expose yourself to contemporary art, with a wide ranging collection stretching from Duchamp to Bacon. Despite a number of works not being to everyone’s taste, you can always find new pieces and exhibitions to catch your eye and imagination. Obviously, the grandiose Turbine Hall exhibits bring the masses flocking through the door, however, we would argue the real gems are to be found in the permanent collection, for instance Roy Lichtenstein's 'Whaam!' is a constant source of fascination.

Also, its worth mentioning Late at the Tate which takes place at Tate Britain, where you can see some of the Underground's music luminaries performing sets with the backdrop of amazing art!

The next gallery to feature is the Royal Academy. Despite many sighting the gradual downward spiral of the summer exhibition ruining its reputation, we would like to disagree. The Royal Academy is the probably the only real place a layman can expose themselves to the newest and most relevant work coming out of this country. The real bonus of the summer exhibition is you get to play art collector! Walking round the gallery, checking costs and imagining what you yourself would buy! We urge you to check out the Summer Exhibition, it really is worth a look.

Next is the Serpentine Gallery. Hidden away in Kensington Gardens, next to Hyde Park, the Serpentine seems to escape the gaze of a lot of London's young art lovers. The gallery prides itself on commissioning not only fantastic exhibitions, but great examples of architecture and sculpture in the surrounding area. For instance, the 2010 summer pavilion designed by Jean Nouvel was a great space to discover. Check out this link to see what you missed:

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2010 by Jean Nouvel from O Production Ltd. on Vimeo.

Anish Kapoor has currently adorned the surrounding area with a major collection of warped, reflective sculptures, which have captured the eye of all who behold them.

Lastly, we wanted to feature a small yet exciting gallery in the heart of Brick Lane. The Stolen Space Gallery features mostly street art and its offshoots. It is probably the best place to see examples of the World's greatest modern street artists in London. Such legends to grace its small but well founded walls are Mode 2, Shepard Fairey, Seen, Pete Fowler and Chris Levine to name but a few. Definitively worth a look on a regular basis, we love Stolen Space and can't recommend it highly enough.

These are just a few of the many great galleries just in London. So there's no excuse not to get out there and be really inspired by some fantastic art.

If you haven’t got time to visit any of these galleries, how about checking out our portfolio of work for some inspiration...

Until next time followers…..

HGC XXX

Blog and buy sale...

2011-02-02T08:47:00.003Z

Here at HGC we’re always on the lookout for weird and wonderful design related stories, so when we came across this site, we thought it was well worth a blog mention. It’s similar to a mini creative ebay where you can also submit your own suggestions (Higher Ground gloves perhaps?). Whereas ebay is fantastic for buying a great second hand designer bag, ‘blog and buy sale’ is purely creative. We think it’s great that you can browse for things you never knew existed, but once discovered, couldn’t live without... a divorcee ring perhaps… or a cookie USB stick, maybe a sandwich bear plate or just a great looking Bill Murray poster, the possibilities are endless! We think the cupcake Beanie hat is a favourite..… just don’t eat it!

Until next time followers...

HGC XXX

Classic Football Shirts make us Smile!

2011-01-26T15:15:00.009Z

We just wanted to take a moment to bask in the glory of our all time favourite football strips. A classic shirt is a true thing of beauty, who can forget the England 66' red kit, or the 86' Argentina shirt.

We've complied just a snippet of our favourites below. Most utilise simple and clean design which aids to their timeless properties. Some are so over designed its ridiculous and some just stick in the mind for the memories associated with them.

Take Schmeichel's goalkeeper shirt from the 92 - 93' Premiership season. The colours clash, the pattern is hideous, yet we can't help remembering it! A classic kit which evokes so many memories (mostly bad as none of us support United!). How about the Norwich City shirt from the stella 92 - 93' Uefa Cup season. Any shirt that sees an East Anglian team beat European giants Bayern Munich is surely ear marked to be a vintage!

On to the minimalist classics… the 95' AC Milan shirt goes down in history for two reasons. Firstly for its great design, completely stripped back with only the essential sponsor and badge being present. Secondly, because it was the shirt George Weah wore when he scored one of the best goals of all time, running around 80 yards from area to area, beating around 8 players on his own and coolly slotting it home! The 88' Liverpool shirt must also be heralded as a classic. Probably our favourite sponsor from over the years, the 'Candy' shirt as we like to call it was donned but such players as John Barnes, Ian Rush and Peter Beardlsey.

Honorary mentions also go to the 83' West Ham shirt, 90' Italy World Cup winning shirt, the 88' Arsenal shirt and last but by no means least, the 93' Man United away shirt.

What are your favourites?

Until next time followers...

HGC XX

PS. We're off down the shops to pay £400 for a signed 88 - 89' Tottenham shirt!

Oyster oyster read all about it!

2011-01-26T10:35:00.003Z

If you creative’s out there think like we do here at HGC, and have a passion for all things arty and crafty, we stumbled upon these new ‘oyster card’ holders. If you’re going to travel on the tube you may as well look stylish when doing so with this hand crafted card holder! Travelling on the tube is a necessity for most and this product has been created to make you smile each time you use it!

Set yourself apart from the millions of other oyster cards in circulation out there with one of these unique, engraved or even a custom bespoke designed holder. Weighing less than a £1 coin they are light and full of character. Look out for them on your travels on the underground!
http://www.alternativeoyster.com/#/selected-work

Why not get in touch with us at HGC http://www.highergroundcreative.co.uk/ and we'll design you a bespoke oyster card holder for you or your business...

Until next time followers...

HGC XX

The Ultimate Olympic Posters

2011-01-19T12:53:00.007Z

As the 2012 London Olympics are fast approaching, it got us thinking about Olympic graphical identities. Not only do the games represent the coming together of the best athletes in the World, they also represent a an opportunity to create an iconic visual brand which, in the best cases, can become a symbol of the games for decades to come.

We've had a dig in the archives to come up with our definitive favourite Olympic posters. They all vastly range in styling but each has a unique beauty, which have become timeless pieces of design.

These posters are created to represent a feeling of unity, community and above all, an opportunity for the World to come together. Visually they represent more than just athletics, they embody the ideals of ancient Greece, where warring states would perform in the games putting all conflicts aside for the duration. The Olympics have long since been seen as way to bring conflicting countries together peacefully.

We wonder whether the current London 2012 identity will pass into the pantheons of Olympic greats? Or whether it is destined to be remembered as just a blip on the design landscape?

Either way, it can only hope to come close to the examples below, each poster being a stand out piece of design, which would rival any contemporary graphical work.

Perhaps in fifty years you'll see the Olympiad 80 poster sat next to London 2012??

The jury is out….

Until next time followers...

HGC XX

Happy January!

2011-01-19T09:05:00.000Z

We all know how depressing the month of January can be, bills to pay, heaps of work to be done and of course the New Year’s resolutions you made a promise to keep this time, (which we tend to stick to on New Year’s Day and the week following it, but that’s the extent of it.) The weather can be such a mood kill at the start of what might be a good day, rain, wet feet, umbrellas poking your eyes out, and let’s not forget ‘the commute’ to work! The endless adverts trying to sell you things you never wanted and dating websites trying to hook you up with the love of your life, apparently!

Well this may put a smile on your face in the mornings for the remainder of January on your commute to work. Smile for London is live and started on Monday and continues until 28th January. For the lucky ones who pass through these tube stations during rush hour, you will be greeted with some creative and inspiring short films from art to animation, no selling involved just a little tablet of creativeness.

Smile for London from Smile for London on Vimeo.

This has certainly made the journey to work a little more exciting, look out for these short films on digital platforms around central London! I know I will be... just don’t make yourself late for work!

Until next time followers...

HGC XX

(If you need some more creative medicine in the meantime, take a look at some of our exciting work on our portfolio http://www.highergroundcreative.co.uk/our-work/...)

Soviet Maverick - El Lissitzky

2011-01-14T09:57:00.006Z

We thought we'd take time out to celebrate one of our favourite historical periods of graphic design, the Soviet constructivists. In particular, one if it’s leading stars, El Lissitzky.

Born in 1890 to a small Jewish family in the far out reaches of the then Russian empire, El Lissitzky was destined to dedicate his life to design and its principles.
In 1909 he moved to study architectural engineering in Germany. But it wouldn't be until 1917 that he would start to employ the graphical and typographic devices that would make him hugely influential.

What followed was 24 years of inspired, precise and effective design across typography, photomontage, book design and propaganda.
His use of block like shapes, constrained colours and photography, came together to create dynamic, multi-layered works that served to excite and inform.

His work was hugely influential and spurred on the likes of the De Stijl and Bauhaus movements which would go on to be prominent until this day.

We've collated some of our favourite El Lissitzky pieces below for your viewing pleasure. All of them fantastic in design, all of them hugely original, all of them hugely inspiring.

London living.... we love it!

2011-01-12T12:33:00.007Z

We at HGC thought this was well worthy of a blog post...'

‘21 things that remind you, you're a Londoner...’
Waiting more than three minutes for a tube is absolutely preposterous
Everyone walks too damn slow
The Underground is a battleground
You think anywhere outside Zone 2 is too far to travel
It surprises you to meet people who have English as a first language
You feel superior to non Londoners
You find the sound of sirens comforting
Fresh air smells funny
You haven’t cooked a meal since helping mum last Christmas with the turkey
You’re suspicious of strangers who are actually nice to you
You have a minimum of five “worst cab ride ever” stories
Being truly alone makes you nervous
Your closet is filled with black clothes
You consider Essex the “countryside”
You think Hyde Park is “nature”
You call an 8″ x 10″ plot of patchy grass a garden
Hookers and the homeless are invisible
You have 27 different menus next to your telephone.
You pay £3 without blinking for a beer that cost the bar 28p
You say “the city” and expect everyone to know which one
You wouldn’t want to live anywhere else… until you get married and have kids!

Predominately we are a bunch of country folk that now reside in ‘the city’, many of us have been thinking similar thoughts to these at times, even though we are not born and bred Londoner’s at heart... Quite entertaining/pessimistic at the same time, but you have to admit London is fab, which is why over 7.5 million people including myself choose to live in this crazy city!

(Look familiar....?)
If you are looking for a bit of a creative burst on your lunch break or you have 5 minutes spare, we have recently updated our website with some great and exciting new work! Check out the latest portfolio goings on at www.highergroundcreative.co.uk/our-work/
Until next time followers

HGC XX

Happy new year from HGC!!

2011-01-05T15:19:00.004Z

All of us here at Higher Ground Creative would like to wish all you HGC followers a Happy New Year! Whether you were at home tucked up in bed or out in the heart of London watching the fireworks on New Year’s eve, we hope you all saw in the New Year with a bang! Let’s hope 2011 is as good as 2010 and brings you all good health and happiness!!

Until next time followers

HGC XXX

Merry Christmas for HGC...

2010-12-21T17:03:00.002Z

The count down to Christmas is drawing to closer and with all this snow it’s been inspirational to us lot at HGC so we made a MASSIVE snowman!! Unfortunately this one trumps ours by miles! This was the largest recorded snow woman created by people from Bethel, Maine, USA. This snow woman weighed in at 13,000,000 lbs. of snow. 5 ft wreaths were used for eyes, 16 skis for eyelashes, 130 ft. scarf, 30 ft. spruce trees for arms and 2,000 ft. of rope for hair. It was a whole community effort with even the local kids pitching in.

That is what I call a massive group effort and you have to give them a massive high five!!

So over the Christmas break, with all the expected snow fall, perhaps gather all the family off the sofas, away from the TV’s and get them making a cheerful snowman or woman. I know I will be trying my hand at making a snow man bigger than this.... wish me luck!

Until next time followers....

HGC XXX

'CMYKILLER' video...

2010-12-17T09:34:00.007Z

Big on your rap and graphics? Well this should get the creative minds buzzing, who would have thought learning photoshop basics could be so cool! Enjoy....

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Until next time followers...

HGC XX

X Factor Fever hit Higher Ground Creative….

2010-12-15T12:34:00.004Z

The bets were on and the tempers were fought with the approach about the X factor final. Who would win? Who would be destined to a career singing at Butlins? This got us thinking, why does everyone every year get so obsessed with the X Factor-what has Cowell and his cronies done to the British nation?

The X Factor this year has embraced a full channel of marketing channels with websites, interactive TV, a magazine (dread to think of the “editorial” content) and also a multitude of other marketing tricks that create X Factor hysteria. This also provides ITV with, a much needed, increase in advertising revenue.

So, it’s all over until next year, when everyone will yet again be hypnotised by the X Factor train.

Well done, Matt, looking forward to your cheesy Christmas No.1 and pages and pages of Heat gossip.

Until next time followers,

HGC XX

Christmas…Pot Noodle Style

2010-12-08T08:47:00.004Z

The HGC team have been getting excited for the Festive Season with the thought of Christmas jumpers Grandma Mildred knitted, mulled wine (…and the accompanied Carol singing) and the tucking into a Christmas dinner with “The Family”. Most of all we have been ramping up for the onslaught of Christmas adverts to see if anyone has broken away from the usual d-list celebrity dancing/singing/talking to a soft lens camera or imagery of “The Family” all returning home for Christmas….it’s a failsafe format but it has always left of thinking that so much more could be done…

Thankfully Pot Noodle has taken a rather different look at the traditional Christmas ad for their Christmas flavoured dried snack (sounds delicious!)_..(link)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4AKSyysGRA

We love the typically British dark humor that the spot has and enjoy the fact that it gives the two fingers to the usual cheesy Christmas ads. It also shows that Pot Noodle knows their market really well, appealing to the people who would find this type of advertising appealing, and gives the brand a satirical tone.

Higher Ground Creative enjoy an alternative way of thinking and give a two thumbs up to Pot Noodle for doing things differently…

Until next time followers,
HGC
XX

The Hans Brinker Hostel Alternative Advertising

2010-12-06T10:30:00.006Z

The Hans Brinker is a budget hotel based in the arty heart of Amsterdam.

Since its inception in the mid-nineties, the Brinker has grown a reputation amongst designers for its tongue in cheek advertising campaigns.

Usually based around its budget title, each year sees the release of a new campaign championing the Brinkers ‘charms’. As the New Year is fast approaching we thought we’d take a look back over some of our favourite campaigns in anticipation of next years new concept.

The early posters from 96 were almost conservative in comparism to later pieces, though the use of sarcasm and wit set the trend for all those that followed. The 2004 series were particularly gruesome, depicting various bacteria / bugs with the strapline “improve your immune system”, rather not thanks! You might be thinking why would anyone want to stay somewhere like this? Well, the Brinkers alternative advertising has gained recognition from designers and advertisers alike, worldwide. That’s why so many flock to stay at the Brinker and revel in the “budget” experience.

Our particular favourite is the 2001 series, depicting a filthy old mattress on cold floorboards sitting underneath the strapline “just like home”. The Brinker campaigns show that creative and alternative thinking can be highly successful when attracting new clients. What we need is more alternative ideas like this, making advertising all the more exciting and interesting for it.

We’re all off to Amsterdam now to enjoy a ‘comfortable’ nights stay at the Brinker!

Goede Nacht!

The Arcanum

2010-11-26T15:44:00.005Z

This week saw the launch of ‘The Arcanum’ website. ‘The Arcanum’ is a luxury villa in Phuket, Thailand – so why not take a look at the website http://www.arcanum-phuket.com/ to see what you’re missing out on!

For Higher Ground Creative, the website is just the latest part of a full branding campaign which has seen us create the name, logo, digital ads, brochure, flash presentation and even getting onto ideas for branded slippers and dressing gowns for their guests!

A stay for two in the plush villa went for quite a hefty amount at the Didier Drogba Charity recently at Chelsea stadium, so if you have the cash to splash, I recommend booking up your stay for 2011. Go on, you deserve it….

Until next time followers...

HGC XXX

Higher Ground Creative become Champagne Charlies…

2010-11-16T11:33:00.003Z

The Higher Ground Creative team like to work hard for all of their clients and its great to see the successful outcome, it makes working for a creative design agency really rewarding-its also lovely when the client rewards the team!

One of our recent projects was Benefits Revolution, www.benefitsrevolution.co.uk a new employee engagement service. This project involved a lot of time and effort from the team but they were kindly rewarded by the Benefits Revolution team with some kind words:

“Fantastic - thank you very much once again. Several of my colleagues has said how great the site looks, you guys have done an amazing job as always!”

…And also some champagne delivered to our offices…we cannot wait to crack open the bottles on Friday! Thanks Benefits Revolution!!

Until next time followers,

HGC

Bikes and Brand Logos…what a lovely combination…

2010-11-10T16:42:00.004Z

Some members of the Higher Ground Creative team are passionate petrol heads and when they saw the new brand logo for Norton, the historic British motorcycle brand, they were impressed with the gentle reworking of the Norton logo, which has become a symbol of the British motorcycle industry.

The new logo only has gentle changes to the overall look, but is refreshed and progressive, and will represent this brand for many more years to come, without losing the heritage of the brand.

Its nice to see the thought that has gone into this logo refresh, taking elements of previous logos to reworks a classic design.

So here is the finished logo on the product- and we could not resist posting a picture of the Norton Commando-what a bike !?

Well, we are off to don our goggles and helmets and burn some rubber…

Until Next time followers,

HGC

X

Higher Ground Creative loves a bit street art....

2010-11-04T14:35:00.004Z

The team at Higher Ground Creative love a bit of graffiti...we enjoy the wa>y that it can brighten up a harsh landscape and also inject sense of humor in often bleak or non-descript locations. We also like the controversy and debate that often surrounds graffiti to whether it is street art or vandalism (...however we do not condone the vandalism the school toilets or the local playground-that would take us back to our schools days...the less said about them the better!).

We were drawn to the attention to a new Banksy masterpiece near our studios...click here to have a look!. It’s great to see a little bit of street art in the area-as well as the privilege that Banksy has chosen to create another one of his masterpieces for us to admire!

Looking at this graffiti has made us think of the possibilities of alternative art as marketing and advertising channels, and we found some really cool examples of what can be done with this emerging art form...

It’s interesting to see brands having the confidence in new methods of brand communication. Higher Ground Creative would love to get involved with such new methods to further expand on their already extensive range of services (www.highergroundcreative.co.uk).

Until next time followers,

HGC

XX

Giant Pool Table and We are recruiting....

2010-10-27T09:53:00.003+01:00

At Higher Ground Creative sometimes we like to kick back and enjoy an ice cold beer after a long day at the office. Obviously someone over at Budweiser has the same philosophy and they came up with this amazing ad...

Imagine having the chance to play with Giant Pool table- it would definitely require a team effort but it would probably make that Friday night drinks down at the pub a lot more interesting!

In other news, Higher Ground Creative is looking for a bright and ambitious Account Executive to join our team! We need an Account Executive who is willing to go that extra mile to get the job done and is happy to roll their sleeves up and help out wherever they can. Someone with a big personality, willingness to learn and can understand constructive criticism will benefit from being exposed to the daily life of a busy creative agency in London and will gain invaluable experience.

If you think you have got what it takes then email jonathan@highergroundcreative.co.uk with a C.V and a cover letter.

Look forward to your applications!

Until next time followers,
HGC
XX

Higher Ground Creative is in awe of South Korea....

2010-10-19T15:02:00.004+01:00

We thought the UK was doing alright with the broadband speeds but after checking this BBC article out we felt all inadequate. Don’t you hate it when that happens?

South Korea have charged ahead as the leaders in the world at providing their population with the fast broadband with their current rate 12 Megabits per second (Mbps), compared to the UK’s 2Mbps (pathetic...we know!) , and are aiming to invest £19billion to hike up their rate to 1,000 Mbps by 2012. Er, thats amazing, this means that you can download a 45 minute music album in 0.05 seconds or War and Peace in 0.002 seconds. This serious investment into broadband will put South Korea light-years ahead of the rest if the world when it comes to internet technology and consumer demand for high speed access to the internet.

As a creative digital design agency, Higher Ground Creative would love to be able to have access to such a fast internet connection-we can only hope that one day we will!

In the meantime, anyone fancy relocating to South Korea?

Hooray from Higher Ground Creative for the Chilean Miners...

2010-10-13T18:13:00.003+01:00

The guys at Higher Ground Creative were pleased to see that the trapped miners from the San Jose mine in Chile, who have been trapped for 69 days, are finally starting to be rescued one by one...we salute the rescuers for their dedication...

See the video here

We will never moan about having to stay late at work ever again...

HGC xx

Variety is the spice of life....

2010-10-13T13:59:00.002+01:00

Higher Ground Creative like to have a wide range of clients that they can exercise their creative knowledge and continually build on their experience as a full service marketing agency. The team are delighted to announce that they are working with avant garde venue the RVT based in Vauxhall, South East London.

This quirky, exciting and ambitious venue has chosen Higher Ground Creative to create new branding for the RVT to encourage a new generation of fans. Higher Ground Creative already love the relationship that has built up between the HGC team and the guys over at the RVT...

Keep watching for more exciting news about RVT....

See you soon followers

HGC xx

Higher Ground Creative is proud of their good looks....and are reaping the praise of our good work!

2010-10-06T15:46:00.002+01:00

The hair was preened, the best trainers were dusted down and the bright cardigan was brought out from the back of the wardrobe. That’s right HGC followers it was time for a family album photo for all of you to put faces to all the hard work we do over here at HGC Towers.

We hope that this photo does not put you off checking out all our hard work at www.highergroundcreative.co.uk as we are really are lovely people and you shouldn’t let our model like looks put you off....its definitely form AND function at Higher Ground Creative...

In other news, the team at HGC have just some lovely feedback from the team at Wardrobe Revolution, who we designed a website and sales material for, they said

"A simple testimonial simply does not do justice to what Higher Ground has helped us create; they have really taken us on one stunning visual adventure, amazing us with their creativity!"

How nice is that? Keep an eye out for the Wardrobe Revolution......

Until next time followers...

HGC XX

The Higher Ground Creative team create another beauty....

2010-10-01T10:23:00.003+01:00

The team at Higher Ground Creative are going from strength to strength with their high quality, slick web designs. The latest triumph from the whizz kids at Higher Ground Creative is for Augmented Reality experts Holiton, who we created an innovative website to match their advanced augmented retail technology that has been used by the likes of BMW and De Beers. Check out our hard work at http://www.holition.co.uk/ ...we are very proud of it!!!

Take a look at our website at see what else we have done for our other clients.... http://www.highergroundcreative.co.uk/

Higher Ground Creative staying one step ahead of the market...

2010-09-29T12:49:00.002+01:00

Higher Ground Creative has always believed that digital platforms provide innovative platforms for companies wanting to capture the imagination of an increasingly sophisticated and tech savvy consumer.

Our belief has been confirmed this week by the latest Association of Online Publishers (AOP) Content & Trends Census, who has discovered that there has been a significant shift towards digital platforms, such as apps, with one in six publishers already providing digital platforms. The census also found that a period of growth and dynamic thinking lies ahead for the next 12 months, with publishers looking to seize the vast opportunities that creative digital technology has to offer....looks like we are going to have a busy time!?

The Higher Ground Creative team are really excited to see the findings of this report, as they have preached the word of digital creative media for nearly 10 years and people are finally joining the church (Hallelujah!). We love to get stuck into a challenge and can’t wait to get their creative and technical juices flowing using the latest digital technology to create fun, intelligent, and most of all, really cool apps and digital marketing solutions....Check out the Higher Ground Creative website and have a look at what we can do...

Until next time followers....

HGC X

Higher Ground Creative like a good pop-up book....

2010-09-24T10:40:00.004+01:00

Sometimes when the days are long and hard the Higher Ground Creative team like a little light relief. We found this video the ideal way to brighten up a day in the office....

http://vimeo.com/7329379

We love the old school Bauhaus style typography, you could say we've got a soft spot for modernism.

This got us thinking about what certain books would be like if they were to be of the pop up variety....War and Peace pop-up book anyone? Suddenly reading would be so much more fun! Let us know what your favourite pop-up book would be.....

Until next time...

HGC x

The boys (and girl!) have done it again....

2010-09-20T15:06:00.002+01:00

The talents of the Higher Ground Creative team have been confirmed this week with the launch of two new websites.....

Firstly, Kulu Valley, an online communications platform...

http://www.kuluvalley.com

Secondly, Preqin, an alternative private equity company...

http://www.preqin.com/

Check out the two websites that have been lovingly developed by the Higher Ground Creative team and now allowed to get out there and give their new owners many years of happy online presence. It’s really is a story of love and dedication.

Pop over to the Higher Ground Creative website for more examples of our good work....http://www.highergroundcreative.co.uk

We always thought we would be celebrities one day....

2010-09-17T16:33:00.004+01:00

We may be celebrated for our high quality web design and creative marketing solutions but Higher Ground Creative has reached new highs in the world of celebrity status....with its very own appearance in the latest Mark Ronson music video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt_aKauLrjA

The chic crooner, featuring Kyle Falconer and Spank Rock, filmed the video for his latest music “The Bike Song” right on the very doorstep of the Higher Ground Creative HQ (watch out for our offices at 49 secs!). We are extremely excited to see that Southwark is finally been recognised as a creative hub within London allowing the Higher Ground Creative team the opportunity to mingle with fellow media moguls and creative cats to spread the word of Southwark as the next big thing in creative areas in London.

We hope that in the future more exciting projects, like the Mark Ronson music video, will take place in the local area and we are more than happy to feature...after all we are now totally A-list celebrities.....

Nano by name not by nature....

2010-09-07T16:35:00.006+01:00

Does Apple ever leave anything alone? The tech wonders have just launched a new iPod Nano. It may be Nano in name but it's definitely not Nano in features, with the new Nano packing an incredible amount of new technology in a tiny package. For example the new Nano now has a touch screen allowing you to skip, swipe and tap your way through your music library; it will even make playlists for you with the Genius function that creates mixes with your music-perfect for the "Bus Trip Rave" on the way home from the office. It also features a built-in clip that allows you to attach the Nano to any part of the body leaving you hands free to do whatever you wish...Like got for a run with the built-in pedometer...

The best aspect of the Nano, I think, is the range of features that make the iPod Nano accessible for those with disabilities. The VoiceOver function is the first hand gesture based screen reader that allows the user to hear a description of what is under the finger and allows them to double-tap, flick or drag to control the Nano making the fun and frolics of the Nano accessible for everyone. Genius.

I can't wait to get my hands on the new iPod Nano...the little guy with big capabilities. Sounds like a creative agency that I know...

2010-08-20T10:29:00.008+01:00

Time To Fox Up and Jet Away...

As a flavour of things to come; feel free to cast your pupils over the charming images below of two companies we currently have the pleasure of working alongside:

i. Fox – luxury menswear and accessories based at London Wall (website design and build)

ii. The Arcanum – a luxury private wellbeing villa located on the west coast of Thailand (brand naming, logo design and website design and build).

Keep an eye out for websites and accompanying materials coming soon.

www.highergroundcreative.co.uk

HGC x

JLS Number 1 in the UK 11.07.10

2010-07-20T08:16:00.000+01:00

So last week saw JLS reach number 1 in the singles chart with ‘The Club is Alive with The Sound of Music’.

Now I don’t know if it is my age or gender, but the original didn’t appeal to me in the first instance, so an electrolysed version was never really going to be to my taste.....or perhaps anyone’s for that matter?!?

To me, this event is a strong case for the power of marketing. The record labels have managed to take a [poor] product (the song), create a strong brand (the group), market it well (the boys), take it to a currently unsatisfied market segment (the teenage girls) and subsequently reap the rewards (the money).

Now I’m not so sure it would work if I tried taking that song to Number 1 but hey it’s worked for some so I might just give it a shot (‘The studio is alive with the sound of branding’...)

So, up next for Higher Ground Creative, branding your band / group / solo project for the number 1 glory spot....

http://www.highergroundcreative.co.uk/corporate-branding-solutions-london.php

see you soon folks!

The unforgiving world cup takes another victim (in the HGC sweepstake)

2010-07-08T18:09:00.002+01:00

After last night’s Spanish victory, another member of the HGC team sinks into their pocket to lay their hard earned notes onto the table.

Let’s be honest; even with the name Germany on my slip, I would have been cheering for the Spaniards after England were so embarrassingly dumped out of the competition.

Many of us failed to even make the 2nd round, but it was fun none the less (apart from Greg who held North Korea!).

Now we await the winner, who will no doubt torment us with their totally non-skilful win by not even offering us a refreshing beverage for our generous gift. I, on the other hand, will be setting up a fantasy ‘table-football’ World Cup where I have more control over my chances.

If you’d like to come join in the antics get in touch, we’d be happy to put four past you!

HGC x

New Arrivals!

2010-06-28T11:21:00.002+01:00

This week, we wanted to share with you a number of new arrivals.

We have recently been working with Endeavour Capital Group and have enjoyed putting together a palette of collateral such as the logos, websites and PowerPoint templates for the Group and its businesses:

http://endeavourcg.com/
http://endeavourcp.com/
http://endeavouram.com/

Plus, we have been working with Health Partners International on a website for one of their programmes, which focuses on reviving routine immunization and newborn and child healthcare in Norther Nigeria - have a look for yourselves:

http://prrinn-mnch.org/

Last but by no means least, HGC (or at least our window sill!) has the pleasure of providing a home to a family of black birds - mom, dad and 4 little ones:

Some of us are being driven crazy by the constant chirping but lets face it, we can't resist them! Watch this space.....

Hello old friends

2010-06-04T09:56:00.002+01:00

Admittedly, it's been a while since our last update, but we like to think that this reflects how the creatives have been beavering away here at Higher Ground HQ - meaning we definitely won't keep you waiting too long for your HGC 'fix' in the future.

As a taste of things to come, have a look at some shots of one of our most recent projects below. Those of you who are regular visitors to our blog will be familiar with Academy Events - a client that we have done a fair few projects for (starting from branding to Microsoft Office templates and email signatures to websites and HTML emails). This time, we have a few printed items to show off:

Both the business cards and A5 flyers (part of a pair with foldable A1 boards put up outside Academy's marquees) have been a major success with Academy and their clients with many positive comments on their design. More importantly though, both have served as a starting point for potential sales, which means a double success in our books!

We hope you like them too.

See you next week.

- HGC

HG United

2010-04-20T12:32:00.001+01:00

Just under a month ago, Higher Ground Creative put down their Crayolas and stepped away from their MACs to brush the dust of their shin pads and squeeze into their Astros. Under the lights of T47, London Bridge, members gave blood sweet and tears to the cause.

Great ambition, yes.

Great team spirit, yes.

Ability, No.

In a high scoring affair (something like 12-12!) a winner could not be decided so we kept the cup for ourselves to add to our mantel piece.

This week, Channel 4 step up for the challenge. KO 8pm.

Wish us luck!

And so begin the startling adventures of our very own HGC superhero!

2010-04-08T16:53:00.011+01:00

Higher Ground Creative Film Shoot... Short Film coming soon...

Higher Ground Creative are soon to debut the launch of their very first short film of 'A Day in the Life Of' starring our very own in-house HGC superhero, and following an action packed day shooting the footage earlier this month. The film shoot saw our superhero make his heroic way across London Bridge. Throughout the film we see him negotiating superhero sized trials and tribulations and flying high with the orange and black brand colours and a personally tailored Higher Ground Creative cape. our superhero made it back to the offices unscathed and is now somewhere high up overlooking the Higher Ground metropolis waiting for his next superhero mission and his next startling adventure.

Check in to view the film yourself... coming soon to the Higher Ground Creative website...

Academy Furniture Website Now Live!

2010-03-26T12:27:00.005Z

Higher Ground Creative is pleased to announce the launch of the Academy Furniture Hire website, a striking website designed to showcase a range of contemporary chairs, tables and event accessories for hire. The Academy Furniture sub-brand was originally developed as one of the 13 individual event services belonging to the Academy Events umbrella brand. The Academy Furniture website will sit side by side with the existing Academy Marquees site and will help to cross-promote the furniture hire services on behalf of Academy Events.

For further information visit the site and browse the latest furniture available for hire @ http://www.academyfurniturehire.co.uk/.

HGC now in the Press!

2010-03-19T12:41:00.003Z

HGC has recently accepted an offer of advertising space in the high end ECA publication. Our half page advert design was created in house to promote HGC services and how we can help all you wonderful folk. Alongside our existing online marketing this spot of print advertising proved to be a great success – so keep an eye out for more HGC adverts near you soon!

The advert was exposed to 700+ subscribers and brought joy to each and everyone who cast their eye upon it.

HGC Creates new screen saver for SeeSaw!

2010-03-02T14:00:00.003Z

SeeSaw is a brand new website for those that love TV.
Showing the most popular shows from the past and present for free, (BBC, Channel 4 and Five)
SeeSaw is set to be a dominant force on the web for years to come.

Higher Ground were approached to create an animated screen saver conceptually driven by their logo.
The screensaver is to be used internally, right across the company as a whole

We're really proud of the creative and so are SeeSaw!

Click on the image below to see the animation:

London Fire Brigade Called To The New Office!

2010-02-08T11:53:00.002Z

Hi All,

We would like to announce that Higher Ground Creative are to work with The London Fire Brigade across a variety of new media projects. We won the pitch for this last week over a number of other London and European based agencies...so watch this space for some of The London Fire Brigade work hot off the press over the next month or two.

In the meantime, check out the new shots below of the office taking shape after a few more IKEA and Habitat trips!

...And if you haven't visited us yet - you should! :)

Have a great week.
HGC

New Place, New Prints.

2010-01-22T13:08:00.001Z

In line with our new office, our stationary range has been given a little face lift.

For an advance peak of the designs which will be circulating in a wallet / on a desk near you soon, take a look at the pre-press snaps below:

2010-01-15T17:43:00.005Z

Hey Everyone,

About a month ago we relocated into a new office and now think it is time to show the world! We've uploaded a few quick snaps of our new home below;

If you like what you see, why not get out of the mean, harsh and unforgiving London weather and pop in for a cuppa!? We are situated in the 1st Floor Studio, 77 Weston Street, London Bridge, SE1 3RS. Once we discuss your marketing design requirements, we’ll be happy to beat you at table football! :-)

Keep an eye out on our blog over the next few months for pictures as the studio continues to get kitted out with new gear!

Bye for now,
The Higher Ground Team

Tips for an Effective Email Campaign

2009-11-10T10:09:00.002Z

Have you tried an HTML email marketing campaign? Fun, engaging and informative; HTML emails can be a great way to increase sales.

Here are Higher Ground London's top html email tips:
- provide numerous communication points to drive customers to your products or services - use carefully selected text and images to effectively target your customer base
- position the most important text at the top of the email to increase message exposure via preview boxes
- use Higher Ground’s experience to build HTML emails which are compatible with the latest and most popular email software and webmail applications including BlackBerry's and iPhones
- ensure files are not blocked by spam filters - use our online application so you can run campaigns internally, using your client database
- use as a supportive marketing tool or even as a campaign of its own
- ensure that you monitor and track the success of the emails (how many people click on which links within the email etc), so you can constantly evolve and improve their effectiveness.

Like what you hear? See what we can do.

Contact Higher Ground Creative now for a bespoke design tailored to your needs and help get that Xmas marketing campaign you’ve always dreamt of!

...and don't forget, we are a London based web design company that offer many marketing services, so would be glad to help your business grow, from designing logos to brochures (and much, much more!).

Read more

Higher Ground Win Deutsche Bank Pitch

2009-10-22T13:19:00.000+01:00

Higher Ground Creative London are to collaborate with DB to assist with the design of the GPS application and the branding of their Autobahn project. The Autobahn branding shall see the consistent integration of various sub-brands to subsequently result in the production of numerous web designs and supportive marketing collateral.

Higher Ground are looking forward to working with Deutsche Bank on this project and helping to develop the consistency of the company’s online branding.

Higher Ground Win Pitch For General Electric Project

2009-10-05T10:59:00.001+01:00

We have recently successfully pitched to work with General Electric (GE Capital) to design their new intranet site. We are really looking forward to working with another established multinational firm and building a strong relationship for the future. The team are relishing the opportunity to apply our expertise to this project and hope to upload some designs soon.

A Blog on Blogs

2009-09-24T13:40:00.002+01:00

We’ve been checking out some of the latest, and greatest, blogs of the moment, keeping our fingers on the pulse of all the latest trends in the design world:

http://typeneu.com/ - Everything you ever wanted to see in contemporary typography.
http://www.septemberindustry.co.uk/ The blog itself is a great design, showcasing the best snippets of top International graphics from around the world.
http://fleuron.com/ Great design and great commentary on design.
http://www.frederiksamuel.com/blog/ Comprehensive showcase and analysis of the latest and greatest advertising campaigns.
http://www.typegoodness.com/ More typography for all you type nerds out there!
http://www.lodownmagazine.com/index.php?page=25
http://ffffound.com/
http://www.qbn.com/
http://www.krop.com/blog/
http://deviationmusic.net/blog/ - Recommended music blog

We have also recently finished designing the latest promotional banner for Getty Images, which is now live on their site as part of September’s monthly campaign. Take a gander below:

New Recruits!

2009-09-11T10:34:00.002+01:00

Over the past few months whilst some companies have been struggling through difficult financial periods, Higher Ground Creative have defied market trends by increasing company work flows. To ensure our high quality stamp remains intact, we have recruited in both our design and account management departments.

Please join us in welcoming the following new faces to the team:

James Ward, Senior Account Manager: James has been a design industry professional for 13 years, and has a strong background in design project management from both a client and a service based perspective working with clients such as Universal Pictures, Disney, Fox, Paramount and Warner Bros.

Tamsin Barnett, Account manager: Tamsin arrives at Higher Ground from a leading London based digital agency bringing a wealth of account management experience.

Mark Donington, Designer: Mark has over 3 years of experience in the graphic design industry and has a passion for applying design across all medias.

David Mills, Account Executive: David brings commercial sales and marketing experience from one of the UK’s top TV broadcasters and holds a strong passion for marketing, the media industry and all things creative.

So what are you waiting for!? Drop us a line if you would like to talk to any of the new or existing friendly HGC team members.

Mug Shots!

2009-09-11T10:26:00.006+01:00

It was an early summer's morning when the Higher Ground team took to the cobbled streets of Covent Garden for a team photo shoot. Soon to be aired on the fast approaching new HGC website, be prepared to see us showing our array of skills by conducting some stylish jumps and poses for the lens.

Check out the snaps below and let us know what you think!

Over and out

2009-07-09T13:13:00.003+01:00

Over the last couple of weeks, we've been working with Excell Group on the design and development of a new website for one of their divisions, Excell Mobile and just in time for this week's blog update, the website has gone live!

Excell Group are a leading provider of Voice & Data services, while Excell Mobile deals specifically with mobile solutions. This includes a range of handsets and accessories but also a set of software such as Mobile Manager (used by businesses to monitor employees' mobile phone use and spend).

We've worked with Excell a few times in the past (have a look through our portfolio for examples), but this time they came to us with an aim to increase their web presence - which was of course an offer we couldn't refuse. A few weeks on, the website looks great (if we do say so ourselves!) and all the relevant information on Excell Mobile and all their products is only a few clicks away.

Plus, we're not the only ones that are happy with the site - this is what Excell had to say about the project:

'Just wanted to say thank you for your professionalism and commitment to the project. I’m delighted with the final outcome. Please pass on my thanks to your team.'

So don't just sit there, have a click around and tell us what you think!

Higher Ground Creative - helping to save the world

2009-06-25T12:40:00.003+01:00

This week, we thought we would write about a project we've just finished for Vestas - a company involved in 'making wind power a source of energy on par with oil and gas'. As an industry leader, Vestas dedicate quite some time to training their staff.

Although this is an internal-facing project, there's no reason that it can't still look good so we were happy to lend a helping hand. Next thing we know, we were working on the branding as well as planning, designing and developing an intranet website to accompany the 'Business Xpress' e-learning program for the Research and Development department.

We're happy with the outcome here at HQ, but don't just take our word for it - read what our client had to say:

'The team were excellent in accommodating all requirements and creating a great look and feel. We have only had positive feedback and everyone loves it which helps a lot with the communications of BX. '

Have a look at our designs below and let us know what you think!

Morning Press

2009-06-18T14:36:00.008+01:00

Over the last year or so, we've often written about projects we got to work on for The Buffalo Club and well, it's that time again!

Last week, we got our hands on a quick turnaround job producing a full-page advertisement to go into CityAm newspaper. The ad was produced to spread the word about the Club's first event, which takes place on Saturday, 20th June and holds a £10,000 stake.

So, if you have a spare £11,000 for a seat at one of the table alongside all kinds of celebrities - why not register for the next event on their website?

In the meantime though - have a look at our ad and let us know what you think!

plus.... Become a Higher Ground Creative Groupie!

In addition to our Twitter account, which we wrote about a few weeks ago, we now have our own group on Facebook and YouTube too. Have a look, join our group and send through your comments!

Watch this space for a link to our Vimeo group too....

'Genesis' by HGC

2009-06-03T17:29:00.006+01:00

You may remember reading about an event that we got involved in a couple of weeks ago alongside ditto and other like-minded creative folk. But in case you don't, it was part of the Shortcircuit event in the Roundhouse, Camden Town.

Anyway, this week we thought we would let you know how it all went. The night brought together all the individual pieces well and it was great to see the final product, considering the hard work that went into each segment!

From our point of view, it was great to see the 'fruit of our labour' (so to speak) on the big screen - have a look at the pictures below. Plus, the reactions that the audience had to our animation were all positive (if we say so ourselves!).

Have a look at more pictures from the night on Flickr and check out the ditto website for information on similar upcoming events - you may even see us there!

Higher Ground Bowling

2009-05-21T13:38:00.008+01:00

Last Wednesday night bore witness to another (extremely enjoyable) Higher Ground team night out. Following some rather painful memories of flying paint from our last organised team activity (read more on this in our older posts), we decided to go for a more pain-free option this time.

Fueled by our love of healthy competition, we arrived at All Star Lanes in Brick Lane for an evening of good food, cocktails and bowling. After much careful consideration over an order of 8 cheeseburgers and various deserts, we managed to split the party into two teams (girls and Jay versus boys) and we were ready to hit the lanes. Of course, not before we put a small bet on the game - the loosing team were doomed to make teas and coffees for a whole week, while the winning team were stripped of their tea-making duties for the time being.

It was a close result, but in the end the boys were victorious and the girls (and Jay) must bow down to their bowling inferiority. Enjoy it while it last lads!

Missed Us?

2009-05-01T10:53:00.004+01:00

As you may or may not know, over the past few months we've been working on the Short Circuit event in the Roundhouse in Camden Town. The event, which is also the world premier of ditto, deals with the idea of the 'human condition' and brings together an array of designers, photographers, musicians, illustrators (and more) in a showcase of their work.

Our contribution to the event is a 3 minute Flash animation on the theme of 'Creation' from Genesis, which is accompanied by a combination of spoken narrative and music by the seminal electronic music producer, Rolando Rocha.

The project has truly been a Higher Ground team effort and we've enjoyed every step of the way. Our animation will be shown alongside the other contributors' pieces at the Roundhouse in a few weeks and we can't wait to see it on the big screen! So have a look at our teaser video and let us know what you think:

You can also watch the full video live on the night (16th May) via an online feed.

Besides our involvement with the Short Circuit event, we've also worked with ditto to produce their logo, website and business cards. they've been an exciting client to work with and we're pretty proud of all our work with them, but we'd like to know what you think - so let us know!

The (all new) London List

2009-04-09T14:15:00.004+01:00

Some of you may remember us mentioning something called 'The London List' at the beginning of the year. Those of you that decided to go ahead and try out some of its suggestions may be happy to know that we've updated the list with a fresh set of things to do. This month's update includes events such as the Bangladeshi New Year in the Barbican Theatre, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition in the Natural History Museum or the Banana Cabaret in The Bedford.

So whether you're into arts, comedy, film, music or theatre you'll definitely try something worth doing in the coming weeks. This time, we've even added a new section with suggestions of bars to try!

Go on then, do something new this week - visit the website or download the PDF for inspiration. If you have other suggestions you would like to see added to the List, please email Maggie.

And the winner is....

2009-04-02T16:06:00.003+01:00

Hello fellow design-enthusiasts,

Over the last couple of weeks, we've been in contact with a company called 'Academy' and we're proud to be able to announce that we've managed to win a contract with them for a complete rebranding project and a whole lot of other elements off the back of this too!

Academy started off as a marquee hire company but have since grown and moved towards providing full event planning services too. They can help with functions like weddings, corporate events and product launches and so were looking for a new parent brand (as well as a sub-brand for each of their service areas) to reflect the new direction and ethos of the business.

Off the back of the branding, we will also be providing Academy with our standard set of services including websites, stationery, emails, pay-per-click campaigns and leaflets. But you should keep an eye out for Academy soon as we'll be designing vehicle branding, signage and t-shirts!

We're all really excited here at HQ, but for now why not take a look at Academy's current website and some photographs from a recent event and send through any suggestions you may have for the new brand!

The Tibian Adventure

2009-03-26T14:46:00.006Z

As we've been updating our blog over the last 9 months, you may have been able to piece together an idea as to the type of projects we take part in and the work we do. So this week, we thought we'd introduce one of our more 'unusual' projects (just to keep you guessing!).

A little while ago, our Google Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising campaign caught the eye of Alex Pemberton. A taxi driver by day, Alex is currently in the process of self-publishing his first book. The first in a series of fantasy books, 'The Tibian Adventure' is set in the world of Vorboria, where a strange but very real danger lurks over the Tibian civilization.

Alex came to Higher Ground in order to develop an online marketing strategy for the book prior to its publication (possibly later this year). Based on the artwork used within the book and some other fantasy websites Alex likes the look and feel of, we put together www.thetibianadventure.com.

Off the back of the website, we'll also be working with Alex to design adverts for the side of his black cab, taxi receipts and adverts for the back of the taxi seats. Maybe our taxi advertising will make it as far as Mumbai like Creative Review's....

Extra extra!

2009-03-20T13:16:00.005Z

Those of you that read our blog regularly may be aware that we do quite a bit of work with the prestigious poker club - The Buffalo Club. Well this week, we wanted to write about one of the latest projects we worked on with them.

Besides our ongoing work on the website, we also had the opportunity to design a full-page advertisement to go into the Financial Times. The advertisement was commissioned as a means of spreading the word about the Club's first event. This was to take place on Saturday, 21st March and held a £10,000 stake.

We liaised closely with both The Buffalo Club and the Financial Times on this one, to produce an end result we are pretty proud of. What do you think?

Keep an eye out next time you go down to the shops!

The Final Countdown

2009-03-12T14:15:00.006Z

Over the last couple of months, we've kept you up to date with the progress of our involvement with the filming of Meisha's very first music video. Well, today we have some big news - we have now officially finished all of the filming! Yes, that's right.... take a moment to digest that....

The last part of the process took place one sunny, but (very) cold Thursday morning on the streets of London - and a bridge. Considering it was rush hour, we managed to get all our equipment set up pretty comfortably on Waterloo bridge and get a good amount of footage with the crowds while dodging cars, buses and especially motorbikes. We spent the second part of the morning on the lovely sun-kissed Southbank, where instead of motorized vehicles, the challenge was not to get hit by bikes.

Having survived these various attacks, we think it is safe to say we have all of the footage we need. Now the real hard work begins - it's time to look through all the footage and start piecing the video together. Well, now that you've stopped holding your breath there's not much more to say besides - watch this space!

Twitter-mania

2009-03-12T14:12:00.001Z

Twitter seems to have taken the world by storm. The 'micro-blog', which allows its users to write 140 characters at a time to inform their 'followers' about what they're doing, has famously been used to book accommodation and travel for a world-round trip and to coordinate a mountain rescue. However, on a day-to-day basis Twitter is said to be an invaluable marketing tool for many businesses.

Of course, we at Higher Ground had to investigate what all the commotion is about! Although we're still getting the hang of this new phenomenon, we've set up our very own account so you can now follow the tweets from over here at HQ.

Have a look at our profile: http://twitter.com/higher_ground

Let us know what you think about Twitter!

Evolution Not Revolution

2009-02-26T13:56:00.005Z

We've recently had the pleasure of working on a project involving a little bit of (almost) everything - from a logo update/redesign, new business cards and PDF templates through to a brand new website and HTML email.

SelectX are a consultancy firm specializing in improving risk management (particularly in life and health insurance) with a multinational clientele. When we met them, they were considering updating the look and feel of their brand and rebuild their website in order to ease user experience.

We've put together a few before and after screenshots for you to have a look over....

Before:

After:

Get in touch to tell us what you think!

We've also been updating our portfolio, so have a click around to get an idea of some of the other things we get involved with!

Reclaiming the beats

2009-02-12T15:48:00.003Z

Hello design-enthusiasts!

This week we wanted to showcase a project, which involves design not only on the digital front but some work on print pieces too!

Equilibrium are a self-proclaimed 'global entertainment company with the brightest and most talented music artists and production team in the world' and they were after a new logo, web holding page and business cards. So, what else could we do but let our designers loose and make sure that this is all reflected in our designs!

But enough from us - have a look at their holding page and the business cards below and let us know what you think!

Hot off the press:

On a completely separate note (get it? :-)) we also helped out at the second part of the filming of Meisha's upcoming video last night. This time, the filming was at Terminal Studios in London Bridge, which were a lot warmer than the streets of Maida Vale!

The filming was great fun if a little dramatic as our Head of Creative risked his life in order to ensure everything went perfectly. Talk about dedication!!

Anyway, check out some pictures below...

Round round, baby, round round!

2009-01-29T15:19:00.003Z

Once again we have the scoop on a VERY exciting project we're currently involved in. Ready?

Last Friday our MD and Head of Creative spent the afternoon in a larger-than-life brainstorming session at the prestigious Roundhouse in Camden Town alongside other designers, photographers, musicians, illustrators, 3D visual artists etc. Everyone was working on ideas for an exhibition we will be involved with as part of the 'Short Circuit' event in May.

Roundhouse started its life as a steam engine repair shed but has since become a legendary cultural venue and has hosted events such as the BBC Electric Proms or Lucha Libre London.

And now it's full steam ahead for Higher Ground!

Hi 5

2009-01-22T14:54:00.007Z

They say that your iPod (or anything else you may use to listen to music..) can reveal all sorts of things about the type of person you are, so we've asked each member of staff at our Covent Garden HQ (aka 'the A team') to put together a list of the top 5 tunes on their iPod. Get ready to be amazed:

Greg Newman (MD & CEO)

1. Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
2. The Village People - YMCA
3. Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax
4. Right Said Fred - Deeply Dippy
5. Kylie Minogue - Do the Locomotion

Rob Parsons (Project Manager)

1. Half the world away – Oasis
2. Yellow – Coldplay
3. Sonny – Funeral for a friend
4. Smother me – The Used
5. Dream catch me – Newton Faulkner

Maggie Majstrova (Account Exec)

1. Timbaland - Way I are
2. Eminem - Superman
3. Support Lesbiens - Bubble Brown
4. Britney Spears - Piece of Me
5. Rocky Soundtrack - Eye of the TIger

Elizabeth Marquis (New Business and Account Exec)

1. Beirut – Elephant Gun
2. Skip James – Devil Got My Woman
3. The Who – Baba O’Riley
4. The Rakes – Just Got Paid
5. Nico – These Days

Jay Shipley (Head of Creative)

1. Martyn 'Natural Selection'
2. Mark de Clive-Lowe feat. Bembe Segue 'Voices Whisper'
3. Commix 'Bear music'
4. Radio City feat. Bajka 'The Hop'
5. Steely Dan 'Peg'

Tom Cleave (Graphic Designer and Illustrator)

1. Michael Franti & Spearhead - We Don’t Mind
2. The Presets - Girl and the Sea (Cut Copy remix)
3. Owusu & Hannibal - Watch Watch (Girls)
4. Chistopher Cross - Ride Like the Wind
5. The Black Seeds - Turn it Around

Edd Grant (Web Designer)

1.Keane - Atlantis
2. Mystery Jets - Two Doors Down
3. Oasis - Live Forever
4. Lemon Jelly - His Majesty King Raam
5. TBC

To match the names and music to faces have a look at our team page

Nights (or days) Out in London

2009-01-15T14:18:00.004Z

We at Higher Ground have recently been working with the London List, to put together a few ideas of fun and creative things to do in London over the next few months. The List's suggestions include ideas ranging from Japanese theatre at the Barbican to the Cold War Modern Design exhibition in the V&A.

So, if you ever have that feeling that you'd really like to do something creative and exciting tonight - why not check out our suggestions? You can check out the blog or even download the list as a PDF. We're sure you'll find something that'll catch your eye!

You can even use the blog to organise meeting with like-minded individuals to enjoy these events together. Doesn't get much better than that! Go on then, stop imagining and start discovering.....

Sneaky peek before it’s complete!

2009-01-14T13:13:00.005Z

Remember we told you about us doing Meisha’s music video? Well there has been huge progress! OK, so we can’t reveal the final video just yet (hold your horses!). We can however provide you with exclusive behind the scenes photographs. Gimmie’ a woo...

Higher Ground stormed Maida Vale and recorded the band in action and what action we captured on film. We can also reveal that the song which has been filmed is ‘On My Own Side’, which can be heard on Meisha’s MySpace page.

Check it out, our MD and Head of Creative aka the next Spielbergs...

So jokes aside, the shoot went amazingly well and we had a lot of fun on the way! So, as always - ‘Watch this space for the next instalment’...

Higher Ground Creative

DARK ADVERTISING

[Left] – Lego advertIt’s all in the imagination. A simple idea, but yet so simple at getting across the core values of ‘Lego’.

[Right] – ArielSaatchi & Saatchi (Paris) produced this print advert to show off ‘Ariel’s – brightest whites’.

Flickr Highlights

LIVE & DIRECT!

ALL IN THE MIX…

Wills and Kate’s wedding essential accessory, Throne up!

Brit Insurance Design awards 2011

The Ever Colourful Keith Haring

Our Favourite Galleries

Blog and buy sale...

Classic Football Shirts make us Smile!

Oyster oyster read all about it!

The Ultimate Olympic Posters

Happy January!

Soviet Maverick - El Lissitzky

London living.... we love it!

Happy new year from HGC!!

Merry Christmas for HGC...

'CMYKILLER' video...

X Factor Fever hit Higher Ground Creative….

Christmas…Pot Noodle Style

The Hans Brinker Hostel Alternative Advertising

The Arcanum

Higher Ground Creative become Champagne Charlies…

Bikes and Brand Logos…what a lovely combination…

Higher Ground Creative loves a bit street art....

Giant Pool Table and We are recruiting....

Higher Ground Creative is in awe of South Korea....

Hooray from Higher Ground Creative for the Chilean Miners...

Variety is the spice of life....

Higher Ground Creative is proud of their good looks....and are reaping the praise of our good work!

The Higher Ground Creative team create another beauty....

Higher Ground Creative staying one step ahead of the market...

Higher Ground Creative like a good pop-up book....

The boys (and girl!) have done it again....

We always thought we would be celebrities one day....

Nano by name not by nature....

JLS Number 1 in the UK 11.07.10

The unforgiving world cup takes another victim (in the HGC sweepstake)

New Arrivals!

Hello old friends

HG United

And so begin the startling adventures of our very own HGC superhero!

Academy Furniture Website Now Live!

HGC now in the Press!

HGC Creates new screen saver for SeeSaw!

London Fire Brigade Called To The New Office!

New Place, New Prints.

Tips for an Effective Email Campaign

Higher Ground Win Deutsche Bank Pitch

Higher Ground Win Pitch For General Electric Project

A Blog on Blogs

New Recruits!

Mug Shots!

Over and out

Higher Ground Creative - helping to save the world

Morning Press

'Genesis' by HGC

Higher Ground Bowling

Missed Us?

The (all new) London List

And the winner is....

The Tibian Adventure

Extra extra!

The Final Countdown

Twitter-mania

Evolution Not Revolution

Reclaiming the beats

Round round, baby, round round!

Hi 5

Nights (or days) Out in London

Sneaky peek before it’s complete!

[Left] – Lego advert
It’s all in the imagination. A simple idea, but yet so simple at getting across the core values of ‘Lego’.

[Right] – Ariel
Saatchi & Saatchi (Paris) produced this print advert to show off ‘Ariel’s – brightest whites’.